A restaurant opening needs to be very well planned to attract customers and make a good first impression. When you open the doors, you should be ready to serve quality dishes, provide quick service and surprise your audience.
That isn't always easy: in the rush to handle the red tape of opening the business and to get everything organized, it's common to neglect or even forget some points that are fundamental to success.
So if you're setting up a restaurant, check out our tips below for preparing a memorable opening and winning over your customers right from the start. Read on!
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How do you open a restaurant?
After a lot of work to get the business licensed, choose the right location, develop the concept, put together the menu, buy Equipment, decorate the space, choose a system and hire a team, the time finally comes to open the doors and welcome your first customers.
On that day, your goal should be to leave everyone extremely satisfied. This is essential for your restaurant to be recommended to family and friends, expanding your customer base in this early stage, when the business needs a boost.
Leia também: How to open a restaurant: a step-by-step guide to starting from scratch
That's why the opening is strategic for the success of your venture and you should think through every detail. Planning the opening involves:
- Choosing an opening menu
- Organizing and decorating the space
- Training the team for service
- Getting the system up and running
- Thinking about promotions
- Promoting the restaurant
- Sending out special invitations
Since this is the first time the operation will be up and running and there are many aspects involved, a good practice is to hold a soft opening, which is nothing more than a simulated opening to test everything in practice and identify what needs adjusting before the big day.
This way, you make sure your opening is a success. Below, check out our tips so you don't forget a single detail!
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11 tips for holding a restaurant opening
As we mentioned earlier, a restaurant opening takes a lot of planning and attention to detail. Below, we've listed 11 essential tips to make your restaurant's opening a success. Check them out!
1 – Create a checklist and timeline
The first step in planning your opening should be to create a checklist of tasks that need to get done, assigning the person responsible for each one – which can be you, your business partner or someone on your team.
It's also very useful to set a timeline, establishing the dates by which each task must be completed so nothing gets left to the last minute. That way, you avoid mistakes and surprises that could hurt your business and cause plenty of headaches.
2 – Put care into the décor
One of the points you should pay attention to while preparing for the opening is your restaurant's décor. Creating a pleasant, welcoming space is essential to making a good first impression.
Take your restaurant's concept into account to create a unique, original atmosphere. You can look for ideas on social networks like Pinterest or hire a professional for the job.
On top of that, consider preparing something different for opening day. The décor can help make the occasion even more special.
3 – Prepare the menu
Putting together an appealing menu is essential for any restaurant. Before opening, you need to test every recipe and check whether any adjustments are needed.
Another point that deserves attention is the design of the menu itself. Include the menu's production in your timeline – it should be eye-catching and well built. Professional photos of the dishes, clear and objective descriptions and correct pricing are essential.
You can use a traditional paper menu – in that case, make sure they get printed in time! – or opt for a digital menu.
4 – Train your team
Your team needs to be very well prepared to serve customers. Hire experienced professionals and run training sessions that walk through every process in your operation – from greeting guests to orders, preparation and payment.
If you can go over all these processes with your team and identify what needs improving, the chances of something going wrong on opening day drop considerably.
5 – Send out invitations
Creating a restaurant opening invitation is an excellent way to build anticipation and make people feel special. You can send it to your family, friends, partners and even digital influencers.
To create an invitation, you can use templates available online, on platforms like Canva, for example.
Choose a design that matches your restaurant's concept and include the basic information, such as date, time and address. If it applies, also highlight the attractions, promotions and special menu to make the invitation even more appealing.
6 – Plan your promotions
Creating a promotion exclusive to your opening can be a good way to attract more people.
You can offer special discounts to the first people to arrive (encouraging them to show up early), give away a free menu item (such as appetizers, drinks or desserts) or even hand out gifts like glasses and souvenirs.
7 – Launch marketing campaigns
A good marketing strategy is indispensable for a restaurant that is just getting started. It should be planned well before the opening, promoting your business in advance, presenting your concept and building anticipation.
Create your business's profile on social media and start posting and interacting with your audience. To drive growth, you can invest in ads or partner with local influencers.
8 – Promote locally
Beyond online marketing, promoting your business locally is also indispensable. You can put a banner at the entrance of your venue to catch attention and show that a new restaurant is coming soon, including the opening date.
Another idea is to hand out flyers in busy spots near your location, or partner with local businesses, offering discounts to their customers, for example.
9 – Check your inventory
As you prepare for the opening, don't forget to check that you have every supply available in inventory. Nothing could be worse than running out of inventory and not being able to serve what the customer wants.
Estimate the crowd you expect to receive and calculate the amount of ingredients you'll need. For a more precise calculation, create Recipe cards for your products
10 – Test your restaurant system
Having an efficient restaurant system is crucial for your operation to run smoothly and for service to be quick. Choose a reliable, stable system so you don't run the risk of going offline, losing sales and leaving customers unhappy.
Before the opening, run tests to see if everything is working perfectly – card readers, POS systems, ERP integrations, digital menu and everything else you need.
11 – Run a Soft Opening
When everything is ready, run the soft opening to test service, operations, the system and the menu in practice. Invite a group of people – they can be friends, family, partners and customers – who can evaluate and suggest improvements.
Schedule the soft opening for at least a week before the opening. That gives you time to make the necessary adjustments and get everything perfect for the official opening day.
Count on EPOC at every stage of your business
With the tips we listed above, you'll certainly be well prepared to welcome your customers and hold an excellent opening. This is only the first step for your business, and to succeed you need to maintain quality, good service and an efficient operation.
For that, it's indispensable to have a system that helps your business grow, such as EPOC. Oferecemos uma solução de ponta a ponta que atende a todos os tipos de negócio, com PDV na nuvem, retaguarda completa, cardápio digital e muito mais.
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